Forest Products Industry

The Wood Recyclers’ Association and WOOD PANEL INDUSTRIES FEDERATION have – December 1st – expressed disappointment over the Government’s decision to keep the wood packaging recycling target unchanged for 2026.

Without a higher target, the trade bodies warn that there will be no incentive to segregate and recycle wooden packaging and drive it up the waste hierarchy.

The two Associations had urged the Government to increase the target to 55% from 2026, citing inaccuracies in the baseline data used to set targets for 2025–2030.

These inaccuracies have lowered the recycling obligation and reduced demand for wood Packaging Waste Recovery Notes (PRNs), a situation compounded by the removal of the general recycling target.

Despite these concerns, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told the WRA last week that the target will remain at 46% for 2026 and that the targets for 2027 onwards would be reviewed later next year as planned.

This decision comes even as recent data (published November 21) shows a 15% drop in wood packaging reported as reprocessed or exported in the first three quarters of 2025 compared to 2024.

Mark Hayton , Chair of the WRA, said:
“We need a minimum 55% packaging recycling target from 2026 onwards. Without higher targets, there will be no incentive to segregate and recycle clean packaging waste wood—a trend which is already evident in the latest packaging figures.

“Delaying until 2027 means another year lost and even less wooden packaging recycled, undermining both the waste hierarchy and the circular economy.”

Wood PRN values have avoided administrative values this year only because supply has fallen due to challenging market conditions.

WRA and WPIF have been lobbying since early 2025 for the targets to be increased to 55% from 2026 and subsequent years to 2030.

Alastair Kerr, Director General of WPIF, commented:

“In the panel board sector we have seen the volumes of wood packaging coming through for recycling reduce significantly over the past decade and without stronger targets, this trend will continue.

“We need a clear driver to ensure material is segregated and moved up the waste hierarchy.”

Click here to read the full response on the WRA website: https://lnkd.in/epzxkBKV

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Jartek’s technological development takes a significant step forward when current Automation Business Director Heikki Laaki joins Jartek as its new CTO. The appointment reinforces Jartek’s goal to develop innovative, customer-oriented solutions that combine production engineering expertise, automation, software and the opportunities offered by new technology.

Technological development is accelerating – digitalization and artificial intelligence are becoming part of solutions 

According to Laaki, the coming years will significantly change the technological landscape of the sawmill industry.

“Over the next 3–5 years, digital and especially AI-based solutions will play an increasingly crucial role. This will be reflected in completely new products and services, but also in the acceleration of the development of existing products. The plant purchased from Jartek today will reap the benefits of these future visions thanks to its flexible upgradeability,” says Heikki Laaki

Jartek’s technology strategy is and will continue to be based on scalable systems, modularity, and lifecycle thinking. Utilizing data, intelligent optimization of automation, and solutions that support customers’ production efficiency and competitiveness are the cornerstones of this strategy.

Industry is undergoing a transformation – the role of equipment manufacturers is highlighted 
Technological development in the sawmill industry has accelerated rapidly, and customers have a growing need to understand how digitalization and artificial intelligence will affect future production.

“The sawmill industry is now feverishly thinking about how to keep up with developments while production and profit pressures are high. The exponential spread of artificial intelligence is changing society and the way work is done, but the direct impact in more traditional manufacturing industries is harder to see. As an equipment supplier, our job is to help our customers navigate this transition,” Laaki continues.

Jartek sees a future where intelligent control systems and seamlessly integrated software solutions form a natural part of sawmill production processes.

Photo – Heikki Laaki

To read previous Jartek related posts click here

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The post AUTOMATION BUSINESS DIRECTOR HEIKKI LAAKI WILL MOVE TO JARTEK’S TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR appeared first on International Forest Industries.